Kralanh Petite Villa celebrating having been open for one year – Photo Credit: Courtney Ridgel

By Courtney Ridgel

At Journeys Within, we believe that philanthropic travel – where travelers actively contribute to improving the communities that they are visiting – not only helps the local communities in the countries we visit, but also creates incredible experiences for our travelers. With this philosophy in mind, we seek out hotels, restaurants and experiences that support and give back to the local communities to include in our itineraries.

So, it was with great pride that this philosophy allowed the tour company to grow to a point where the company was able to invest in the Journeys Within team members to make sweeping changes in their own lives. One such investment allowed Linda Chhay to design and build her own boutique hotel from the ground up – Kralanh Petite Villa.

Linda has worked tirelessly at Journeys Within behind the scenes for over a decade, and she put her vast experience to use in planning the perfect retreat for travelers. Chances are, if you’ve traveled with Journeys Within, then Linda helped put your tour together. We are so grateful to have her as part of the Journeys Within team, and are so proud that she is now a business owner in her own right – with two enterprises! Linda owns a flower shop and Kralanh Petite Villa.

We love sending our guests to this hotel because it not only supports a local Khmer-owned and run business (and Linda of course!), but also because we know our guests will be treated like family. They will be warmly cared for by the incredible staff, many of whom including Ruat and Kanha, originally worked for Andrea over a decade ago at the Journeys Within Boutique Hotel. This small property is particularly great for families as the rooms are spacious and there is a Family Suite option. A relaxing dip in the pool feels perfect after a warm day out at the temples. For families with younger kids, there is a Kid’s Club with games, and baby-sitting services available.

Kralanh Petite Villa has large spacious rooms, perfect for families – Photo Credit: Courtney RidgelA dip in the pool is the perfect way to relax at the end of a hot day – Photo credit: Courtney Ridgel

And while the location is not centrally located downtown, we feel that this adds to the charm – you’ll be able to sit and enjoy breakfast while watching the local neighborhood come to life around you – children riding bikes to school in their neat navy and white uniforms, motos and tuk-tuks taking people to work, and neighbors fishing in the canal next door. And in the evenings, Ly, the resident tuk-tuk driver will be standing by to take you into town to explore the night market and Siem Reap’s delicious food scene.

I love playing games. Cards, board games, silly games – whatever! With my love of good-clean-fun, I made up this fun scavenger hunt to keep myself, my husband and our 2-1/2 year old entertained during long layovers and the dreaded delay.

Game: Airport Scavenger Hunt

Number of players: 2 +

Rules: You can only claim two “found” items from one store.

*for example: you can’t go into one store and check off everything from your list – although if you ask my husband he may debate you on this one, but it’s my game so my rules :).

You can count a store as a found item, plus two items inside the store.

People or characters listed can be checked off if you find any reference to them – picture, writing, product etc.

Options: You can make this a “photo” scavenger hunt and require a picture of you + the found item (makes for some funny pictures)